Biden Special Counsel Robert Hur Speaks Out, Reveals New Details, with Dave Aronberg and Mike Davis

Megyn Kelly
12 Mar 202413:17

Summary

TLDRThe transcript discusses Robert Hur's questioning before the House Judiciary Committee regarding his report on President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents. Hur defends his assessment of Biden's memory as relevant and fair, given the evidence. The investigation found Biden's classified records from his vice presidency and senatorial years, but Hur decided against charges due to inability to prove willfulness, citing Biden's memory issues. The conversation highlights the political divide and differing reactions to Hur's report, with criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Biden's press conference response to the report is also discussed, where he addressed the mention of his son's death and his recollection of events.

Takeaways

  • 📜 Robert Herr questioned by the House Judiciary Committee about his report on Biden's handling of classified documents.
  • 🔍 Herr defends his report, stating that Biden's memory was relevant to assessing whether willfulness could be proven.
  • 🤔 Biden's memory was central to the investigation, as he didn't recall certain instances related to classified documents.
  • 🚫 The investigation found six stashes of Biden's classified records from his time as vice president and senator.
  • 🌏 Records were accessible and unguarded for years, potentially compromising national security.
  • 📝 Allegations that Hunter Biden may have used some classified documents for personal gain.
  • 💭 Herr decided not to charge Biden due to doubts about proving willfulness, citing Biden's memory issues.
  • 🔥 Democrats and Republicans both expressed criticism towards Herr's handling of the investigation and report.
  • 🎙️ Biden's press conference in response to the report, where he addressed his son's death and his memory.
  • 🗣️ Biden's claim that he was offended by the report's language on his memory was contradicted by the transcript.
  • 📉 The discussion also touched on the broader political and economic implications of the report and Biden's response.

Q & A

  • Who was questioned by the House Judiciary Committee regarding the report on classified documents?

    -Robert Herr was questioned by the House Judiciary Committee about the report concerning classified documents.

  • What was President Joe Biden's reaction to the characterization of his memory in the report?

    -President Joe Biden was unhappy about the characterization of his memory in the report.

  • What did Robert Herr's report focus on regarding the president's memory?

    -The report focused on the relevance of President Biden's memory, stating that it was necessary, accurate, and fair to assess his state of mind in relation to the classified documents issue.

  • What was the main task of Robert Herr in his investigation?

    -Robert Herr's main task was to determine whether President Biden willfully retained or disclosed National Defense information.

  • Why did Robert Herr decline to bring charges against President Biden?

    -Robert Herr declined to bring charges against President Biden because he couldn't prove willfulness due to Biden's faulty memory.

  • What did the investigation find about Biden's handling of classified records?

    -The investigation found six stashes of Biden's stolen classified records from his time as vice president and senator, which were unguarded for years and accessible to unauthorized individuals.

  • What was the reported use of some of the classified records by Hunter Biden?

    -It was reported that Hunter Biden used some of the classified records to draft a memo to secure funding for the Bidens from Burisma.

  • How did the public react to Robert Herr's report?

    -The public reaction was divided, with Democrats being outraged by the comments about Biden's memory and Republicans criticizing Herr for setting a high standard of proof.

  • What event did Joe Biden reference during his impromptu press conference in response to the report?

    -Joe Biden referenced the death of his son, Beau Biden, and the date of his passing during the press conference.

  • What was the discrepancy in Joe Biden's recollection of events during the interview?

    -Joe Biden was unsure of the exact year his son died but remembered the month and day. He was then reminded of the year by others present during the interview.

  • What was the key difference between how the report treated Biden and Trump regarding the handling of classified documents?

    -The key difference was that the report emphasized it's not the possession of documents that leads to charges but the refusal to give them back, which separates Biden from Trump's case.

Outlines

00:00

🕵️‍♂️ Investigation into Biden's Handling of Classified Documents

This paragraph discusses the investigation led by Robert Herr into the handling of classified documents by President Joe Biden. Herr's report indicates that Biden did not remember certain details about the classified information, including its presence in his home after his vice presidency. The report defends Biden's memory issues and suggests that the assessment of Biden's memory was necessary and fair. It also highlights the discovery of six stashes of classified records from Biden's time as vice president and senator, which were unguarded and accessible to a Chinese national employed by the Bidens. The report suggests that Hunter Biden may have used some of these documents to secure funding. Despite this, Herr declined to bring charges against Biden due to the inability to prove willfulness because of Biden's faulty memory. The paragraph also touches on the political reactions to the report, with Democrats being upset about comments on Biden's memory and Republicans criticizing the investigation's approach.

05:00

🗣️ Biden's Testimony and Memory Concerns

The focus of this paragraph is on the questioning of Joe Biden by Robert Herr regarding the handling of work-related papers after Biden's vice presidency. Biden's response is somewhat vague, citing personal turmoil due to his son's deployment or death. The paragraph also highlights Biden's memory issues, particularly when discussing the exact date of his son's death. There is a discussion about Biden's ability to recall events and the implications of his memory on the investigation. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on Biden's political strategy and the impact of his perceived memory issues on public expectations.

10:01

🎙️ Biden's Press Conference Response and Misleading Statements

This paragraph covers Joe Biden's reaction to the investigation report, where he held an impromptu press conference to address the allegations. Biden expressed indignation over the report's characterization of his memory and attempted to prove his mental acuity. However, the paragraph points out inconsistencies in Biden's statements, particularly regarding the death of his son, which he claimed to remember clearly. The transcript contradicts Biden's claim that Robert Herr brought up his son's death, showing that it was Biden who mentioned it. The paragraph also touches on the political fallout from the report and Biden's response, including the public's reaction and the potential impact on Biden's image and political standing.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Robert Herr

Robert Herr is a key figure in the transcript, presumably an investigator or prosecutor, who has questioned Joe Biden and issued a report on the handling of classified documents. His role is central to the narrative as he defends the accuracy and fairness of his report, which has sparked controversy and political debate.

💡Joe Biden

Joe Biden is the President of the United States and a central figure in the transcript. The report by Robert Herr discusses Biden's memory and handling of classified documents, which has led to political discussions and scrutiny of his mental state and actions.

💡classified documents

Classified documents are official records that contain sensitive or confidential information and are restricted from public access. In the transcript, the focus is on the discovery of such documents from Biden's time as vice president and senator, and the implications of their mishandling.

💡willfulness

Willfulness in a legal context refers to the intentional and knowing commission of an act that is prohibited by law. In the transcript, the investigation led by Robert Herr hinges on whether Biden willfully retained or disclosed National Defense information, which is a critical element in determining potential legal wrongdoing.

💡Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden is mentioned in the context of using classified documents to draft a memo for securing funding. His involvement is significant as it adds another layer to the controversy surrounding the handling of classified information by the Biden family.

💡mental state

Mental state refers to a person's cognitive and emotional condition, which can impact their actions and memory. In the transcript, Joe Biden's mental state is discussed in relation to his ability to recall events and handle classified information, becoming a point of contention in the political discourse.

💡political bias

Political bias refers to the inclination or preference for a particular political party or ideology. The transcript suggests that the reactions to Robert Herr's report are influenced by political bias, with Democrats and Republicans interpreting the findings differently and voicing their concerns or criticisms based on their political立场s.

💡State of the Union

The State of the Union address is an annual speech delivered by the President of the United States to Congress, summarizing the current state of the nation and outlining the administration's goals and priorities. In the transcript, it is mentioned in the context of managing public expectations of President Biden's performance, given the controversies surrounding him.

💡inflation

Inflation refers to the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising, and subsequently, purchasing power is falling. In the transcript, inflation is mentioned as a broader economic issue that the US is facing, which is exacerbating the country's financial problems.

💡Birch Gold Group

Birch Gold Group is a company mentioned in the transcript as a solution for individuals looking to hedge against inflation. They offer services to help convert retirement savings into gold, which is often seen as a stable store of value during times of economic uncertainty.

Highlights

Robert Herr questions Joe Biden about his memory and characterizations in a report.

Biden expresses his dissatisfaction with how his memory was portrayed in the report.

Herr defends his report, stating that his assessment was necessary, accurate, and fair.

Herr's investigation found six stashes of Biden's stolen classified records from his time as vice president and senator.

Classified records were moved several times, unguarded for years, and accessible to a Chinese national employed by the Bidens.

Hunter Biden allegedly used some of the classified records to draft a memo to secure funding for the Bidens.

Robert Herr declines to bring charges against Biden due to doubts about proving willfulness because of Biden's faulty memory.

Democrats are furious with Herr for stating Biden has a declining mental state.

Republicans are also critical of Herr, showing the deep division in political reactions.

Herr emphasizes that it's not possession but the refusal to give back classified documents that can lead to charges.

Biden's memory is questioned, specifically regarding the date his son died.

Biden recalls the exact date his son died, indicating his memory is not entirely faulty.

Biden confuses Ali as the president of Mexico during a press conference.

Biden claims he was offended by the report's reference to his memory, but the transcript shows he brought up his son's death.

The transcript contradicts Biden's claim that Herr brought up his son's death; it was Biden who did so.

Financial experts anticipated rate cuts by the Fed, but inflation data suggests otherwise.

The US is in debt, and printing more money could exacerbate inflation.

Diversifying savings into gold is suggested as a hedge against inflation.

Birch Gold Group offers a way to convert retirement funds into gold.

Transcripts

00:00

Robert Herr goes before Hur you know how

00:02

it bothers me goes before the uh house

00:05

Judiciary Committee and gets questioned

00:08

about this report that we know Joe Biden

00:11

did not much like here's a little bit

00:13

from his opening statement defending

00:15

himself because of course the president

00:16

was unhappy about the characterization

00:19

uh characterizations on his memory in

00:21

that report It's s one the evidence and

00:24

the president himself put his memory

00:26

squarely at issue we interviewed the

00:29

president and asked him about his

00:31

recorded statement I just found all the

00:33

classified stuff downstairs end quot he

00:36

told us that he didn't remember saying

00:39

that to his Ghost Rider he also said he

00:41

didn't remember finding any classified

00:44

material in his home after his vice

00:46

presidency and he didn't remember

00:48

anything about how classified documents

00:50

about Afghanistan made their way into

00:53

his

00:54

garage my assessment in the report about

00:57

the relevance of the president's memory

00:59

was necessary

01:00

and accurate and fair most importantly

01:03

what I wrote is what I believe the

01:05

evidence shows and what I expect jurors

01:07

would perceive and believe I did not

01:11

sanitize my explanation nor did I

01:14

disparage the president

01:18

unfairly so um what do you make of that

01:21

Mike because it did seem pretty

01:23

uncontroversial to me that in

01:25

Prosecuting a case in which he had to

01:26

prove willfulness or at least that's the

01:29

standard he was going going with put

01:31

holding himself to the most difficult

01:32

standard possible there's been some

01:34

criticism that he didn't need to do that

01:36

it was a lower bar but in any event he

01:38

said my task was to determine whether

01:39

the president retained or disclosed

01:41

National Defense information willfully

01:42

meaning knowingly with the attempt to do

01:44

something the law forbids I couldn't

01:46

make that determination without

01:47

assessing his state of

01:49

mind yeah so Robert her's investigative

01:53

team they found six stashes of Biden's

01:57

stolen classified records

02:00

uh from his time as vice president and

02:03

even as his from his time as a senator I

02:07

don't know how you explain that because

02:08

that means you'd have to take the

02:10

classified records out of the Senate

02:12

skiff these records were moved several

02:16

times they were

02:18

unguarded for years they were accessible

02:22

to a Chinese National employed by the

02:26

bidens and as Miranda divine reported in

02:30

the New York Post they look like some of

02:33

these classified records were used by

02:35

Hunter Biden to draft a

02:38

23o memo uh to secure barisma funding

02:43

for the bidens but then Robert her so

02:46

we've established it looks like that

02:48

President Trump willfully took and kept

02:51

so he willfully retains these National

02:54

Security documents these classified

02:56

records but Robert Herr declined to

02:59

bring charges against uh Biden because

03:02

Robert H says he can't prove there

03:05

there's doubt whether he can prove

03:07

willfulness because of Biden's faulty

03:10

memory I think that Robert her to put it

03:13

legally save Biden's ass here and the

03:16

Democrats are Furious because Robert

03:18

Herr stated what everyone already knows

03:21

which is Biden has a declining mental

03:25

States Dave what did you make of it

03:28

going be back with you make in Mike you

03:30

know I was expecting that the Democrats

03:33

would go after Robert her and I was

03:34

surprised that the Republicans went

03:36

after him more than the Democrats this

03:38

is why we live in different Bubbles and

03:40

as a Democrat people on my side have

03:43

been outraged by the fact that her

03:44

included what seemed to be gratuitous

03:46

comments about Joe Biden's memory and it

03:48

looks like according to the latest

03:49

reports with the transcript that has

03:51

come out that Biden did know the exact

03:53

date that his son died so uh her seemed

03:57

to he didn't know the year not well knew

04:00

the day he knew the exact dates and then

04:02

as far as the year he said when the date

04:05

requires a year when they say Dave when

04:08

were you what is the date on which you

04:09

were born you don't just get to say May

04:12

first well then when her said 2015 I

04:15

said wow was it 2015 that could be taken

04:18

different ways that could be taken as

04:19

man I SP a time I'm telling

04:22

you but but here's the thing I I was

04:25

surprised that the Republicans are going

04:27

after him more because Democrats are

04:28

displeased with him which shows you that

04:30

we're so divided that you can try to

04:32

please everyone you'll please no one

04:34

meric Garland that's a lesson for you

04:36

but so far I just the key thing here is

04:38

that Robert her has ex has emphasized

04:41

that it's not the possession of the

04:43

documents that'll get you charged it's

04:45

the refusal give him back and that's

04:47

what separates Biden from Donald Trump

04:50

all right you're going to make me go

04:51

through the transcript aren't you

04:52

because the transcript we haven't

04:54

actually seen it of Robert her and Joe

04:56

Biden but apparently it's 250 Pages the

04:58

New York Times revie vied what they

05:00

described as a lightly redacted copy of

05:02

it so we're getting excerpts from them

05:04

um they published this section Biden

05:06

well um I I I I don't know this is what

05:09

2017 2018 that area where's the the

05:13

preceding question I had this written

05:14

down someplace um where they're getting

05:17

into it and the question to him from

05:21

Robert her I'll find it but in any event

05:25

he was asking Joe Biden oh here it is

05:28

her press Joe Biden where he kept papers

05:31

related to work he did after leaving the

05:34

vice presidency in January 2017 okay so

05:37

that makes sense Biden leaves the U the

05:40

vice presidency of course Obama left the

05:43

presidency and in January 17 Trump was

05:45

sworn in um so her is asking him where'd

05:48

you keep your papers relating to the

05:50

work you did after you left the vice

05:51

presidency and Biden's response is well

05:53

um I I I I I don't know this is what

05:56

2017 2018 that area her yes sir Biden

06:00

remember in this time frame my son is

06:03

either been deployed or is dying and so

06:07

it was and by the way there were still a

06:10

lot of people at the time when I got out

06:11

of the Senate that were encouraging me

06:12

to run in this period except the

06:15

president I'm not not a mean thing to

06:18

say he just thought she had a better

06:19

shot of winning the presidency than I

06:21

did and so I hadn't I hadn't at this

06:24

point even though I'm at Penn I hadn't

06:26

walked away from the idea that I may run

06:28

for office again but if I ran again I'd

06:30

be running for president and and so what

06:33

was happening though what month what

06:35

month did Bo die oh God May 30th

06:39

interrupting here may uh R Rachel cotton

06:43

a White House lawyer 2015 unidentified

06:46

male speaker 2015 Biden was it 2015 he

06:50

had died unidentified male speaker it

06:53

was May of 2015 Biden it was 2015 Robert

06:57

Bower Biden's personal lawyer I'm not

06:59

sure of the month sir but I think that

07:01

was the year mark crical uh hers Deputy

07:05

that's right Mr President it Biden and

07:08

what's happened in the meantime is that

07:10

as and As Trump gets elected in 20 in

07:13

November 2017 this is a question from

07:16

Joe Biden Trump gets elected in November

07:18

of 2017 unidentified male speaker 2016

07:23

unidentified male speaker 16 Biden 16

07:27

2016 all right so why do I have 2017

07:31

here that's when you left office says Ed

07:34

csll his White House counsil January of

07:36

2017 Biden yeah okay but that's when

07:39

Trump gets sworn in January cisal right

07:42

bow right Biden okay yeah and in 2017 Bo

07:46

had passed okay

07:48

Dave I there is nothing in that that

07:52

suggests Biden is recalling anything I

07:55

mean you could see you what month first

07:57

he doesn't know what month did B

08:00

then he remembers May 30th then two

08:02

people have to remind him 2015 then he

08:03

says was it 2015 then he was told yeah

08:06

it was May of 15 then Biden says okay it

08:08

was 2015 then they're still trying to

08:10

help him I'm not sure the month but I

08:12

think it was that year yes that's right

08:15

what happened in the meantime Trump gets

08:17

elected in November of 20 he doesn't

08:18

know when Trump got elected November of

08:20

2017 hello no it wasn't November of 2017

08:25

the whole world knows it was November of

08:26

16

08:28

Dave

08:30

oh well is that a question that's my

08:33

question that's my question Dave come

08:35

on well like as I said when you he knew

08:39

May 30th he got that date and then he as

08:42

far as wasn't sure about the year and

08:43

then he was surprised a little bit about

08:45

the Year yes so you you can get for that

08:47

but you know when we continue to harp on

08:50

Joe Biden being seen out and all that

08:51

stuff what that does is lower the

08:53

expectations so much so that when he

08:54

gives a really strong State of the Union

08:56

speech all of a sudden he meets and

08:58

exceeds those low expect

09:00

so you got to be careful what you ask

09:01

for here and as far as what Robert herd

09:03

did yeah I I just think as a prosecutor

09:05

you focus on the issue of did Joe Biden

09:08

commit a crime he said no he did not and

09:10

then you move on and instead he came out

09:12

with this hundreds of pages of stuff

09:14

that was now being used politically and

09:16

I think that oversteps his

09:18

bounds okay I I understand your feeling

09:21

but I I don't think that's what happened

09:22

at all I think he he did need to explain

09:24

why he wasn't charging him I understand

09:26

Republicans are mad about the standard

09:28

they said you know you held him to to

09:29

high a standard the burden of proof was

09:31

lower but her is saying I had in my mind

09:34

I my understanding was I had to prove

09:35

willfulness and I can't do it with a

09:37

daughtering man who has a poor memory

09:40

and it doesn't mean that you always

09:41

forget everything it's just there's oh

09:43

look there's a doggy visiting Dave um

09:45

who's that you see Getty oh sorry sweet

09:50

sweet dog see there you

09:53

go let's talk about we need to guest our

09:55

appearance today um okay so anyway

09:57

here's the here's the real shocker to me

10:00

Mike we'd heard something about this but

10:03

to see it actually you know come out Joe

10:05

Biden came out there and misled us all

10:08

he misled us all the day the her report

10:11

hit Joe Biden came out and said this is

10:13

you know offensive remember because he

10:15

was on his heels it said he was this

10:17

like you know well-meaning elderly man

10:19

with a poor memory so he held that

10:20

impromptu press conference tried to

10:22

prove to us all that he still had it

10:24

together and then he confused Ali as the

10:27

president of Mexico and so on and uh in

10:30

that press conference he feigned

10:33

indignation that's my characterization

10:35

based on the news we've seen here about

10:38

how it was allegedly Robert her who

10:41

brought up the death of his son that's

10:44

what he said and the transcript I just

10:46

read to you proves he Joe Biden brought

10:49

up his son Robert her didn't ask

10:52

anything about him that's not what

10:54

happened here's Joe Biden um on February

10:57

8th the day this report came out and he

10:59

had impromptu press conference listen s

11:01

7 I know there's some attention paid to

11:04

some language in a report about my

11:06

recollection of events there's even

11:08

reference that I don't

11:10

remember when my son

11:13

died how in the hell dare he raise

11:16

that frankly when I was asked the

11:18

question I thought to myself wasn't any

11:20

of their damn

11:23

business when I was asked the question

11:25

and once again just taking you back to

11:26

the beginning of that transcript hers

11:28

pressing him where he kept papers

11:29

related to work he did after he left the

11:31

vice presidency in January 17 Biden well

11:34

um I I I I don't know this is what 17 18

11:37

that area her yes sir Biden remember in

11:40

this time frame my son is either been

11:43

deployed or is dying and so blah blah

11:45

blah blah blah and finishes it with what

11:48

month did Bo die oh God May 30th and

11:51

then it goes from there not a single

11:52

question here uh from Robert her about

11:56

Bo Biden it was Joe Joe Biden who

11:58

brought that up

12:00

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12:02

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12:04

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12:07

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12:09

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